


Group Date

by eilu



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Humor, M/M, group date, silliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2017-10-12
Packaged: 2019-01-16 14:26:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12344481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eilu/pseuds/eilu
Summary: DS9 couples plan a group date. Julian brings his murder-lizard boyfriend along.





	Group Date

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ameera](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ameera/gifts).



> This is pure silly fluff. We all need a pick-me-up these days.
> 
> Thanks to Ameera for the encouragement.

Julian bounced into Garak's shop with a stack of PADDs. Garak looked up as his partner dropped them on his sewing table with a clatter.

"And what are those supposed to be, dear?" he said with a sigh. "This is a _work_  table, not a desk."

"Sign-up sheets" Julian replied with barely contained enthusiasm. "See, Jadzia suggested them, and Commander Sisko approved. He said it's good for morale. Some people say he just wants to spend more time with Captain Yates, but _I_  think it's a good idea too so I signed off on it as well and…"

"That all sounds fascinating my dear, but I'm at work and you still haven't told me what these 'sign-up sheets' are for" Garak interrupted, amusement in his voice. Julian did tend to babble when he was excited, and he clearly was. Hopefully his partner would stop chattering long enough to tell him what had gotten him in such a tizzy.

"Oh, oh… sorry. Got excited." Julian replied, waving his arms around. "Group dates. They're sign-up sheets for group dates"

"Group dates?" Garak asked with a quirk of his eyeridge.

"Ah, it's a Terran tradition. An old one. Couples go out together and have fun with each other. This is just the preliminaries, we're still trying to see how many people are interested and what activities they'd like"

"I see…"

"Look, look," Julian eagerly continued, noisily going over the PADDs "this one's for a holosuite beach outing, and we have one for a Pub Quiz, I think Miles put that one, and someone put in a potluck, and bowling night, and here's a Trill sport, we have that too…"

Garak rolled his eyes. He clearly wasn't going to get any more work done for now.

\---

"So my dear," Garak asked over lunch. "any updates on your 'Group Date'?"

" _Our_ Group Date, Elim" Julian replied, waggling his finger at the tailor. "Actually, so many people signed up that we had to make a separate schedule for Ops, and then divide the various Starfleet members, Bajoran militia, and civilians into smaller groups or else DS9 might end up deserted."

"Really." Garak fixed Julian with one of his inscrutable smiles. He wasn't expecting much from this 'Group Date' thing, but was willing to indulge the doctor.

"Yes, it seems everyone was looking for something positive to take their minds off things" Julian replied with a shrug. "As for the ops date, no one could agree on what we should do, except that it'll be in the holosuite, in case we're needed for an emergency or something."

"My dear, is _everyone_  in ops joining?" Garak interjected, his eyes narrowing. He wasn't particularly comfortable with Miles or Kira. But if everyone was going to be there, then he wouldn't be interacting with them too much.

"Oh yes, Commander Sisko and Captain Yates, Miles and Keiko, Jadzia and Worf, Kira and Odo, plus you and me" Julian replied, counting off on his fingers. "Anyway, as I was saying, nobody could agree on what to do. So we decided to compromise."

"Compromise…?"

"We're going to let the computer pick, and put most of the settings on 'random,' that way it'll be a surprise"

Garak blinked. Going into a holosuite and not knowing what to expect? Insanity! He opened his mouth to protest, but Julian waved him off "I know what you're going to say. Relax Garak, it's a date night, not a combat simulation! We'll be fine. Besides, we'll narrow down the choices before we let the computer choose. Nothing dangerous, I promise." Julian batted his eyelashes for good measure.

"Well. It's not like I can say no when you look at me like that." Julian grinned, and Garak felt a small flutter in his stomach. He never _could_  refuse the good doctor anything.

\---

Garak grumbled to himself. Some "date" this was turning out to be. The first program the computer had picked had been some sort of Andorian hike. He almost suspected the Chief of loading it on purpose just to get at him, but the program had lasted all of three seconds before everyone was yelling for a reload. Not that the current scenario was much better, but at least he wasn't going to freeze to (an admittedly virtual) death in a holosuite.

It was some Terran game Captain Sisko had identified as "mini-golf." Although Garak had no idea what 'golf' was, or if it came in other sizes, this current iteration was laughably simple. It was a child's game, almost insultingly so.

After a few explanations, including telling Odo that no, he could not shapeshift himself into the ball and simply fling himself through obstacles, it looks like they were finally ready to begin. Garak briefly contemplated whacking Julian with his golf club.

"Why are they taking so long?!" Garak hissed at Julian. "One need only to take into account trajectory and timing to make a shot!"

"You're taking it too seriously Garak. We're not playing to win."

"Hmm?" Garak would have rebutted just then– of _course_  they were playing to win; winning was the point of games, after all but it was Julian's turn to "putt." (what an odd word; to Garak's ears it was just a letter short of being scandalous.)

As Garak watched Julian prepare to hit the ball, he saw the doctor give his butt a little wiggle. Garak felt some of his frustration evaporate– was that standard technique? He hadn't been paying attention to the others. Perhaps Julian was teasing him?

"You see my dear," Julian continued after his turn, a naughty twinkle in his eye "the point is to shamelessly flirt with your partner while everyone is taking their turn. Flirting during your turn is optional, but recommended."

"Ah, that wasn't in Commander Sisko's explanation of the rules, but trust you humans to wantonly smuggle in _romance_  and all sorts of ridiculous _feelings_  into everything." Garak replied, finally feeling that perhaps mini-golf would not be so bad after all.

"It's only because your people have no sense of fun, Garak." Julian countered with a smile, glad his partner was finally getting into the spirit of things.

"Fun? We're chasing balls through ramps, tunnels, and moving statues. Your ancestors couldn't design fun if their lives depended on it! Now, if this were a proper, _Cardassian_  game…"

"WORF!!!" Garak was just warming up into his argument when Dax's yell grabbed everyone's attention. Everyone turned to look just as the Klingon's ball (evidently hit too hard) ricocheted off a windmill to hit O'Brien square in the jaw.

Garak suppressed a grin as he reached to stroke Julian's back. It looks like this _was_  going to be fun after all.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written anything fictional in years, so comments and suggestions are welcome.


End file.
